“Oh, you also need to sleep in the bed with me.”
Whoa, that came out of nowhere. She also picks up her speed as if the conversation is over now that she’ssaid her piece. It’s not that I don’t want to sleep next to her. But I don’t know that I can keep my emotions out of it. Eric was right. This is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I was trying to be nice, but keeping my feelings locked away in a box is proving to be difficult.
“Why?” I lengthen my strides to catch up with her. “I thought we agreed on this arrangement before we came down here.”
She nods her acknowledgment. “That was before my sister paid me a visit this morning and noticed your bedding on the floor. Both her and Parker are onto us. She said they’ll be keeping an eye on us the entire time.”
This is what she meant about her siblings meddling all the time. A small part of me is grateful I never had to deal with that. I would have lost my mind. Even my parents never meddled in my life, but we also shared what was going on freely.
“Would it be so bad if they knew? Out of all your siblings they seem like the coolest.”
“Oh, I’m closer to them than I am any of the others. But that’s part of the problem.” She pauses so another person can come out of the aisle we need to enter.
“How?” If she’s close to them, they’ll understand.
“Because I’ve never mentioned you. That’s red flag number one. And, as much as I love my sister, she cannot keep a secret for shit. She doesn’t do it on purpose, but whatever she’s trying to hide always slips out. That’s how I got in trouble most of the time in my teens. It would be weeks after I did something and she’d saysomething in passing. Then I’d be grounded or have to do extra chores.”
“Oh. And what about Parker?”
She stops in front of the row of comforters, studying each one. To my surprise she bypasses all the neutral colored ones, and heads straight for the bright, bold colors. I don’t know why I’m shocked. Talking to her these past couple of weeks, I’ve noticed she’s not quite as subdued as she wants people to believe. She stands out in a crowd. Though, that may be because I really like her.
I also appreciate her trying to protect me from her family, but I can handle myself. She needs to give me the opportunity to show her.
“Parker is like a vault for the most part. But I wouldn’t put it past him to poke holes in everything we say. Like I said last night, he’s the biggest prankster I know. It’s like being a pain in the ass gives him strength.”
Ah. That actually makes sense and fits the vibe he gave off last night. It looks like my studying didn’t matter. Her siblings are all completely different than I thought they would be. And here I thought I’d actually be more friendly to her older brother. That one may take some work on my part. I will win him over before we leave.
“So, what you’re saying is we need to be absolutely ridiculous.”
She glances from the comforter in her hands to me. “Yes, but also, I’m not sure what you mean by that.”
“More PDA, sleeping in the same bed.” I pause and tap my fingers on the edge of the cart. “Should we come up with nicknames for each other? You know like those couples in cheesy movies?”
“Absolutely fucking not.” She glares at me. “If you call me something other than Paula, or babe, I won’t be responsible for how I respond.”
“So, no puddin’ pop.” I don’t know where I even pulled the name from but the disgust on her face is worth the suggestion.
“You really want me to get kicked out of this store, don’t you?”
“I’m kidding. Sort of.” I hold my hands up in surrender.
“Keep pressing buttons, buddy. I’ll tell Parker you’re fair game.” She looks at the bright pink comforter in her hands to another one the shelf. It’s turquoise and seems to have a floral print on in it. “I don’t know which one to get.”
Grabbing the one from her hands I set it in the basket. Then I reach up and pull the one from the shelf before tossing it beside the first. “We’ll get both.”
“I only need one, though.”
“The way you were acting last night, you’ll probably need both before the weekend is over.”
“But I?—”
“No, buts. I’m getting both of them for you. Now, let’s tackle this list your mom made. How many days does she think we’re staying?”
Instead of arguing with me over the comforter, she grabs the list out of my hand. At least I seem to have won this round.
“Do you remember how much you ate as a teenager?”
“Not much has changed between then and now.”
